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Reso — the alias of London-based producer Alex Melia — returned to the dance music world in late 2017 with the inaugural release of his new RX0 label, Kodama, a four-track EP of spirited dance music. For the second release on the label, Reso has chosen two productions that act as a counterpoint of sorts to the first EP. Where RX001 was a broad mission statement, RX002 is a laser-focused burst of breaks, moods, and programming finesse. ‘Avenoir’ is a dedication to Reso’s roots, a tip of the hat from the man today to his younger self. This is most evident in the way breaks are chopped, layered, and sequenced to feed tension and tease expectation. A student of the artform, Reso also tips his hat to early pioneers like Dillinja, Paradox, and Goldie. Rubbing against the youthful exuberance of this rhythmic ride is the older Reso, a man with a better understanding of melodic progression, chord sequences, and song structure. The result is what Melia refers to as “prog jungle” with guitars, pads, and ambient melodies easing the breaks in and evolving throughout, guiding the listener towards memories that haven’t happened yet — an idea implied by the track’s name, a noun invented by John Koenig and meant to represent, “the desire that memory could flow backward.” On the flip side of this prog jungle escapade is ‘Chibaku Tensei’ (Japanese for planetary devastation), another expansive production that riffs on darker shades of the same ideas: intense drum manipulations, with breaks cut sharp and twisted to breaking point, mood-setting ambient pads for short bursts of respite, and tense but necessary forward motion. Both tracks were cut to 45rpm on vinyl for maximum dancefloor impact while the digital release includes a bonus track, ‘Aural Animation’, a tongue-in-cheek roller that indulges musical fantasies, the ideal soundtrack to a car ride into space. RX002 affirms Reso’s return and dedication to finding new directions without forgetting the paths that brought him there.